1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image composition processing apparatus and a method thereof which allows a positional relationship among image layers to be easily recognized in adjusting relative positions among a plurality of image data items (image layers) for composition processing.
2. Prior Art
A software called photo retouch software has been used to edit a home page of the internet. The photo retouch software has a function to edit image layers and compose them into a final image.
In composing the edited image layers, it is convenient to display image layers which is made translucent in superposition to allow them to be recognized because it is necessary to precisely align the image layers.
For example, PUPA 7-74924 discloses a technology applicable to such use in which images are made translucent and superposed. Also, there is a photo retouch software in the market which has a function to make image layers translucent and display them in superposition.
However, the method of making the entire image layers translucent for display is not necessarily suitable for the use in recognizing a part of a composed image. Specifically, even when recognizing the manner of superposition of a very small portion of a composed image, the operation is complicated because the visible or invisible state of each individual image layer has to be changed.
Further, this method does not allow a work to be done to recognize the manner of superposition of a detail of the composed image while viewing the entire composed image.
A photo retouch software xe2x80x9cPhotoshopxe2x80x9d (trade name of Adobe Systems Inc.) provides a convenience of recognizing each image layer by displaying a GUI (graphical user interface) image called xe2x80x9cLayer Palettexe2x80x9d in the screen.
However, it may be difficult to recognize in this method because each image layer is displayed in the GUI window in a small size. Specifically, because each image layer is independently displayed in each window in a small size, it is impossible to employ a recognition method of viewing the result of superposition, for example, by superposing image layers below a certain layer in a normal manner while making the layers above the certain layer translucent.
In addition, because adjustment of the position and recognition of the manner of superposition of the image layers have to be done by referring to separate areas on the screen in this method, the movement of eyes is large and imposes a heavy burden to a user.
Therefore, if an image for recognizing the manner of superposition of the image layers is displayed near a mouse pointer and the like used for adjusting the position of image layers, the movement of eyes will be less in editing work and the burden on the user will be reduced.
The present invention is conceived in view of the above described problems of the prior art and aims at provision of an image composition processing apparatus and a method thereof which allows the positional relationship among a plurality of image layers to be precisely recognized and, thus, allows the image layers to be superposed with a precise alignment.
The present invention further provides an image composition processing apparatus and a method thereof which displays a desired portion of a composed image in translucence to allow the positional relationship among a plurality of image layers superposed in this portion to be easily recognized.
Still further, the present invention is directed to an image composition processing apparatus and a method thereof which displays the manner of superposition of the composed image in a GUI window in an image editing work to improve the operability of the work.
The present invention is still further directed to an image composition processing apparatus and a method thereof which displays the manner of superposition of the composed image in the proximity of and in correlation to a pointer image which is displayed on the screen in an image editing work to make the work easy.